Tip for Bluetooth Aids: Anker Bluetooth Transmitter!

#1

-Edit: Not all aids may be compatible, Phonak, Unitron, and Costco KS9 and KS10 should work. Depends on if your aids use Bluetooth classic protocols or your aid is MFi/ASHA.

FYI, This anker product is awesome and a life saver if you have any regular devices you want to use that doesn’t have bluetooth. If you’re not tech savvy here’s a little break-down of what it will do. Anything with a headphone jack this transmitter will wirelessly convert the audio to bluetooth compatible with your hearing aids. It has a very impressive battery life and has almost no audio lag. I’ve used other bluetooth transmitters and most would annoy me with a slight lag between lips and audio. Some of the reviews are bad, but I don’t know, for me it seems to work really well?

You can connect up to 2 devices at once so for example on a long flight a few months ago me and the girlfriend both watched a movie on just her screen, but with the transmitter she and I both connected my hearing aids and her bluetooth headphones to the same screen, without a headphone cord going anywhere. Pretty slick. I also use it on the TV if I’m up late and its great, so simple to slap this little thing into a headphone jack and not bother anyone else. I also used it at work when the work PC’s bluetooth was acting up with my aids because it was a cubicle setting with TONS of bluetooth devices and just didn’t work well until this.

I remember in the 2000s struggling with finding the best headphones with the biggest coil strong enough for my Tcoil to pick up and trying all sorts of ridiculous stuff, and the big ol battery pack loop things, but I could always still plug in. Then by like 2010s aids and tech improved so you’d have a small neck loop, no pack but full fidelity audio that were almost invisible under a shirt, and most if not all featured headphone jack so you could still just plug in. Now with bluetooth I actually had issues because I lost a way to truly “plug-in” to my aids which I always appreciated being able to straight shot audio to my aids and block out everything else. It was only practical on the phone really. Everything else was either too much a hassle or laggy making it too frustrating to enjoy. Hurrah! Fixed! Best option I’ve found yet for very reasonably priced! Now I can “plug-in” easily again.

I dont work for Anker or anything, this device is just awesome

-Edit Note: If you don’t currently have a program or setting on your aid that is bluetooth with the mic 100% off I highly recommend as a life long deaf person you try this mode if you aid has room for it. It’s logically the same as a hearing person having the world’s best noise cancelling headphones.

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Soundsync-Bluetooth-Transmitter-Connection/dp/B08923MXP2/ref=asc_df_B08923MXP2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=642116782507&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1096712680575948774&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032979&hvtargid=pla-1932160505938&psc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiIOmBhDjARIsAP6YhSXltKyba2mth5sZ6vYXpOb1_Zek-zM1OpmK1dKCIYTJQsMEyjQf1KIaAjfgEALw_wcB

1 Like
#2

I assume you have sonova family HAs? I doubt it would work with MFI HAs.

WH

Edit; correct MFI typo

#3

I do, I’m not sure what Mai HA’s are but if it supports general bluetooth for audio I assume it would unless its a specific unique protocol. I assume the vast majority of bluetooth aids would be supported by this product?

I’ve had some older aids that used a form of bluetooth to communicate between eachother for dual ear but I could never connect to them with with any bluetooth device, except its own specific programmer if thats what you’re talking about? I’m not sure and would appreciate the enlightenment!

#4

Sonova’s hearing aids are the only ones that would work this way. Other brands are MFI/ASHA, and will only work with iDevices/androids. If you wished to do this with another brand, you generally need to use an intermediate device. So this device connects to your computer, and goes to your hearing aids from there.

WH

2 Likes
#5

If the hearing aid is compatible with android or iPhone, this product will (edit- NOT necessarily) work! Have you tried it?

—Per @WhiteHat , and doing some short research this is true. My apologies. There are some protocols ahead of this, and seems to be exactly MFi and ASHA as mentioned which is not supported by this transmitter. If you have a Sonova HA this should work. It appears this bluetooth transmitter may be limited to Phonak, Unitron, and Costco HAs.

1 Like
#6

Simply no. Most aids will connect to Android or iphone but most of those connect using a low-energy protocol that is not compatible with this transmitter. As per @WhiteHat above it is only late-model Sonova aids that use the Bluetooth Classic audio that this transmitter needs. The acid test is to connect your aids to a computer’s bluetooth. If they connect to a computer, they will connect to this transmitter. Most don’t.

2 Likes
#7

Agreed, my apologies. Seems like quick research shows only Phonak, Unitron and Costco models may be compatible?

1 Like
#8

No worries. Phonak, Unitron, Costco KS10, KS9… not sure about KS8 and lower.

1 Like
#9

KS7 and KS8 were Rexton. 7 didn’t have BT. KS8 was made for iPhone. Pretty sure KS6 was Resound and was MFI.

1 Like
#10

None of the CURRENT Costco HAs will work with it either. Rexton, Jabra and Philips are the 3 brands sold by Costco right now, I think. They stopped carrying the (Sonova mf’d) KS-10 a while ago, for which your statement would be true.

WH

#11

I’m actually finding this really interesting. I was excited to share and had no idea it was so specific. If anyone hasn’t here’s a great article right under my nose… :man_shrugging:

I’m a little disappointed after looking into it how companies get so far away from just sticking to a bluetooth standard. I know its the norm, but even for HAs? Bummer. I feel like I got lucky picking Phonak. It might not be the best for everyone of even for streaming but I do appreciate the simplicity with the bluetooth.

1 Like